Russia's Ministry of Transport has outlined plans to more closely integrate the country's vast network of inland rivers with sea and land transport routes as part of a broader push to ease pressure on overburdened roads and railways.

The initiative comes as officials confront a persistent infrastructure bottleneck: nearly 60% of river port berths currently lack direct rail connections, affecting the timely delivery of more than 100 million tonnes of cargo each year, Radio RBC reported.

Speaking at a recent industry briefing, Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin said the government is finalizing a new Concept for the Development of Inland Waterway Transport through 2035, with projections extending to 2050. The strategy, which forms part of the national "Efficient Transport System" project, envisages substantial investments in dredging, hydraulic structures, and waterway modernization.

Annual dredging volumes on Russia's inland waterways are estimated at 10-12 million cubic meters. The upcoming opening of the Bagaevsky Dam is expected to boost the Don River's carrying capacity by approximately 19 million tonnes. Together with the Gorodets Dam, total capacity could increase by up to 35 million tonnes.

Ministry officials highlighted the efficiency gains of river transport, noting that it consumes 24 times less energy than road haulage. One self-propelled vessel with a 5,000-tonne capacity can replace as many as 255 trucks or 78 railway cars.

Beyond the river network, the ministry is pressing ahead with port infrastructure upgrades. In Murmansk, construction is advancing on the Lavna coal handling complex, designed to handle 18 million tonnes annually. Meanwhile, in the Astrakhan region, work continues to deepen the Volga-Caspian Shipping Canal to support growing traffic along the international North-South transport corridor, with similar development efforts underway at Far Eastern ports of Vanino and Vladivostok.